‘His Day is Done’ premiers at NMMU

Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University brings out a blend of musical elements to premiere a world class concert on the South Campus on Sunday, August 7.

The concert titled His Day is Done is a first for the institution and was composed by Professor Ed Sarath, from the University of Michigan, last year after drawing inspiration from the Maya Angelou poem dedicated to Nelson Mandela.

Sarath says the piece reflects his interest in bridging diverse musical languages as well as addressing social justice issues.

“Given the recent highly charged conversations on race in America, as well as the prominence of ethnic tensions in the world, I believe this piece offers a timely message for artists and audiences across the globe,” Sarath said.

“I consider myself highly fortunate to have inhabited the space of this powerful poem for an extended period of time, where I could reflect deeply on its meaning and Mandela’s legacy and translate these experiences into sound.”

Planning for the concert began earlier this year after NMMU lecturer Gareth Williams was put into contact with Sarath, who was initially scheduled to present a seminar at Kingswood College in Grahamstown this week.

Sarath cited NMMU as a very significant venue for the musical event and expressed his desire to premiere the piece at the institution.

Through ongoing communication and planning between Sarath and Williams, they formulated a two-part concert on a grand scale. The 75-piece ensemble will showcase many the of the bay’s foremost teachers, performers, and community musicians alongside the NMMU Symphony Orchestra.

“Many months of planning will culminate in this historic concert on Sunday which will be a treat for lovers of fine music. I am passionate about music that is relevant, fresh and allows us to form ties to international musicians and educators with a similar vision” Williams said.

Among the acts to perform are the Two Tone Band, the NMMU Symphony Orchestra led by Grant Snyman and NMMU jazz lecturer John Edwards, who will be playing the piano.

The concert opens with a five-piece performance by the Two Tone band and Sarath on the flugelhorn, followed by Sarath’s composition of the Angelou poem(main performance), performed by the NMMU Symphony orchestra accompanied by choral and jazz elements.

Two Tone pianist and vocalist Ulagh Williams, also jazz vocals lecturer at NMMU, said she was excited to be involved.

“Our students are very lucky to be a part of something of this scale and we’re very excited to be part of it. It’s the first time it’s ever being performed and there are also talks of some of us possibly performing at the American premiere later this year in Michigan,” Williams said.

The concert starts from 3pm tomorrow August 7 at the NMMU South Campus Auditorium. Tickets available at the NMMU music department from R50 adults and R30 for pensioners, students and scholars pupils.

BIG MOMENT: Mayoral candidate Athol Trollip and his DA supporters celebrate at the Donkin Reserve after the party won the municipal elections in Nelson Mandela Bay. Picture: FREDLIN ADRIAAN

Race on to woo small parties for that desperately needed support

Political parties are in for a weekend of intense wheeling and dealing as the DA and ANC gear up to woo smaller parties in Nelson Mandela Bay to drum up the numbers needed to govern the metro.

While the DA clinched the majority vote with a 46.7% win to the ANC’s 40.9%, it needs to join forces with other parties to be able to take majority decisions in the council.

The DA received 57 out of a total of 120 seats in the Bay council. It needs four additional seats to have a 61-member council majority.

The UDM’s regional chairman, Mongameli Bobani, said they were in negotiations with the DA to form a coalition government. He said they would not join forces with the ANC.

The UDM has two council seats. “We will never form a coalition with the ANC.

“I can’t wait to see the ANC in the opposition benches. In fact, I will guide them on how to be in the opposition.

“Goodbye Danny Jordaan,” a confident Bobani said.

As it became clear that the ANC would no longer rule the municipality on its own – in a city once regarded as the home of the liberation movement – the party was yesterday scrambling around, trying to cling on to power by starting coalition discussions.

The ANC took a major bruising in the polls, dropping from its 62-seat majority to 50 seats – down 11% compared with 2011.

For the full story read Weekend Post, or get the complete newspaper, including comics, classifieds, crosswords and back editions in our e-Edition.

Samba dancers and drummers from various Samba Schools perform during the opening ceremony of the Rio 2016 Olympic Games at Maracana Stadium in Rio de Jeneiro on August 5 2016. Picture: AFP

The Rio Games launched with a flamboyant spectacle headlined by supermodel Gisele Bundchen on Friday as a doom-laden Olympic build-up gave way to an energetic party atmosphere at the fabled Maracana stadium.

Marathon runner Vanderlei Cordeiro lit the cauldron after an exuberant show of Brazilian cultural touchstones and breathtaking pyrotechnics — and a compulsory burst of samba.

Cordeiro was a left-field but touching choice after he was famously attacked by a spectator while leading the 2004 Athens Olympics marathon late in the race.

But in a reminder of Brazil’s parlous political and economic situation, boos and jeers greeted interim president Michel Temer before he declared South America’s first Olympic Games open.

Temer took over when impeachment proceedings started against President Dilma Rousseff, whose supporters accuse him of plotting against the suspended leader.

Despite the resentful undercurrent, and protests against the Games just hours earlier, spirits were high among the thousands of athletes, performers, fans and officials at the 78,000-capacity Maracana.

“The Olympic dream is now a wonderful reality. The best place in the world is here and now,” said organising committee chief Carlos Nuzman, to rapturous applause.

Brazilian singer Paulinho da Viola sang the national anthem to set off the show of laser lights and elaborate dances highlighting Brazil’s history and rise as an emerging power.

Brazil’s Gisele Bundchen strutted across the arena to the iconic “Girl From Ipanema” before Greece, home of the ancient Olympics, led out the colourful athletes’ parade.

More than 10,000 athletes from 207 teams took part, with the biggest cheers reserved for the specially formed refugee team and the joyous Brazilian contingent.

Iran’s flagbearer was wheelchair-bound Zahra Nemati, their first ever female flag-carrier who will compete in archery despite being paralysed in both legs.

Each athlete was presented with a seed and a cartridge of soil to enable them to plant a native tree of Brazil, which will ultimately form an “Athletes Forest” made up of 207 different species — one for each delegation.

“This is the moment of the ‘maravilhosa cidade’ (marvellous city),” said International Olympic Committee president Thomas Bach.

“This first ever Olympic Games in South America will go from Brazil to the entire world.”

Indigenous tribes and dueling dance groups were among the highlights of a show low on technology but high on invention.

But the overwhelming theme of the evening was protection of the environment.

An early opening sequence depicted the birth of life, culminating in the sprouting of a green entanglement of leaves from the stadium floor depicting the Amazon rainforest.

Indigenous Brazilians then performed native dances before creating huge “Ocas” or native huts in the center of the stage.

That gave way to an exuberant, joyous party which encompassed Brazil’s breathtakingly diverse musical and cultural traditions.

The celebratory atmosphere followed fresh protests earlier when about 3,000 people with placards saying “No to the Olympics!” gathered outside a luxury hotel where many athletes are staying.

Brazil has spent more than 10 billion on new infrastructure and preparing for the Games at a time of economic crisis.

The billions lavished on the Games has angered many Brazilians as the country grapples with a tanking economy and mass social problems.

Friday’s ceremony lifts the curtain on a more than two-week sporting festival featuring superstars like Michael Phelps and Usain Bolt, as well as thousands more who will compete for 2,102 medals until August 21.

The first gold medal will be awarded on Saturday in shooting and all eyes will be on American swimming star Phelps, the most decorated Olympian in history, when he returns to the pool in the first week.

Track and field will see Jamaica’s Bolt aim to defend his 100m, 200m and 4x100m crowns by clinching all three for the third straight Games.

Gymnastics, meanwhile, could unearth a new heroine in America’s teenage star Simone Biles, while rugby and golf return to the Olympic programme after gaps of 92 years and 112 years respectively.

SPEECHLESS WITH JOY: Vuyiswa and Nokwenda Manqunyana breathed a sigh of relief when they finally got their promised RDP house. Picture: BRIAN WITBOOI

Mom, disabled daughter suffered while house was used as a clinic

Along and agonising wait a disabled woman had to endure to claim her own RDP home – which was being used as a government clinic – ended in tears of joy this week when Vuyiswa Manqunyana was finally handed the keys to her house.

The provincial Department of Health had been using the twobedroomed house in Motherwell as a clinic for the past six years while its beneficiary, Manqunyana, 24, and her mother, Nokwenda, 69, were forced to rent a dilapidated house in KwaDwesi Extension.

Their hardship ended on Tuesday when Manqunyana, who was born without the use of her legs and right arm, took ownership of the property in NU29.

“I am so excited,” she said. “The joy I have is so unbelievable. I am speechless. The government has been using this house as a clinic all these years while I was struggling. It has been a long time. I did not believe it when I held the keys in my hands.”

Manqunyana paid special tribute to community leader Sabela Williams, of Kwazakhele, who took her fight to the Department of Human Settlements and later informed Weekend Post of her plight.

Even though the family does not yet have furniture, Manqunyana said she had already started to plan where to place the couch, wardrobe and other household items.

For the full story read Weekend Post, or get the complete newspaper, including comics, classifieds, crosswords and back editions in our e-Edition.

In his victory speech to a crowd of DA members and supporters at the Donkin Reserve, mayor elect Athol Trollip said starting on Monday, no government workers would sleep at work and arrive at or leave work early.

Trollip was addressing the members of the media, two hours after the DA, with 47.70%, had officially snatched the metro from the ANC with 41.70%.

The crowd, wearing the party’s blue T-shirt, welcomed Trollip with singing and dancing.

Trollip said he had already engaged with officials in the Metro to discuss the reports on the metro police, IPTS and irregular appointments.

“The DA did away with corruption as from yesterday (Thursday). We will now deal with all the municipal officials who were appointed irregularly and have no qualifications. Everyone in our council has been given a mandate to fulfil all the promises we made when we were campaigning.

“As we said, sizomkhupha u Mampinga e Mkhukwhini simfake endlini (We will take a Mampinga out of the shack and put her in a house). Even though we will fight for people to have houses, we should not forget that poverty in a shack is no different to poverty in a house. We need to create jobs and make people independent,” Trollip said to loud cheers from the DA members.

Meanwhile the ANC is ready to be in opposition in the Bay, although it is also open to the possibility of entering into a coalition government with other parties, the ANC’s Eastern Cape provincial secretary Oscar Mabuyane said.

In a statement following the municipal election results – which saw the ANC dip to 40.9%, below the DA’s 46.7% – Mabuyane said they had decided to “explore” the party’s future role in the metro.

“We are ready to be in opposition in the metro but we are also open to any possible coalition discussions and talks.

“The current situation is a harsh reality but it’s a curve that we must turn with humility.

“We must be ready for the next coming national elections and use them as a dry run for the next local government elections,” Mabuyane said.

He added that the ANC would continue building better communities across the province, including the Bay.

“We hope other political parties with votes in the metro will be open to our engagement on the way forward.

“The ANC fought for democracy and the Mandela Bay outcome is an illustration of a maturing democracy and a demonstration that people are now empowered,” Mabuyane said.

While the Electoral Commission at the Eastern Cape nerve centre celebrated the completion of vote capturing at Nelson Mandela Bay on Friday‚ ANC provincial chairman Phumulo Masualle was on his way to the same area to convince regional leaders to withdraw a case of possible “vote-rigging” that has already been dropped by the party at national level.

The party’s regional spokesman‚ Beza Ntshona‚ announced that they had opened a case with police after a ballot box with marked ballot papers were found dumped in a tent.

Electoral Commission provincial head Thami Mraji confirmed during a press conference on Thursday night that a case was opened with police. Mraji was unable to give details of the case‚ saying the matter “is still sub-judice“.

The meeting between Masualle – who is also the Eastern Cape premier – with the metro’s regional task team members is a follow-up to announcements by the ANC’s national spokespeople that the case had been withdrawn.

But Ntshona signalled the regional ANC wanted to challenge the outcomes of the metro’s election results.

ANC provincial secretary Oscar Mabuyane said Masualle “is on his way to Port Elizabeth to meet with the (regional leadership)”.

“We can’t be sending mixed messages. The region has to be convinced otherwise‚” Mabuyane said.

The official results show that the Democratic Alliance won the metro by 46%‚ ANC 41% and Economic Freedom Fighters at 5.1%.

This weekend Cape Town brings Motown to the Friendly City, with three performances from tomorrow to Monday – two at the Gelvandale sports grounds and at the Boardwalk.

From Cape Town to Motown asks the question, “where is Motown?”

For many, it is in their kitchen on a Sunday morning, in the taxi on their way to work, others believe it’s a place with an address, says show organiser Cheslyn Botha.

Unlike the average “variety show”, this is a musical theatre production based on cover versions of classic Motown songs.

The characters explore the facets of their lives as they take the audience on a journey through the era of Motown. Two older characters, played by Andrea Anthony and Carlo Daniels, attempt to educate a younger guy, played by Austin Rose, about Motown.

With sold out shows in 2014 and last year, and a recent performance at the Klein Karoo Nasionale Kunstefees (KKNK) in April, the trio are ready to croon their way into the hearts of Port Elizabeth audiences.

Motown became a “political movement” back in the 1970s.

“It was a solace for many people, for those living on the Cape Flats, going through the dark days of apartheid,” said Botha.

“The calibre of music to emerge from this era is incomparable to any other, it is soulful, jazzy and foot-tappingly addictive.”

Rose is a known performer at the KKNK, and come from a run in Kaapse Musiek in Colour and the Suidoosterfees at the Artscape Theatre. As well as a role in the movie Four Corners, Rose also stars in the new film Noem My Skollie, set to be released next month.

Anthony lectures at the Cape Music Institute, where she also is a student. She also is a backup singer for Alistair Izobell, Loukmaan Adams and Karin Kortje.

She also performed in Loukmaan Adams’s My Wonder Years, and she and Rose both appeared with Alistair Izobell in Music Alla Kaap at Grandwest Arena.

Daniels started out in the Mitchells Plain drama group Kinders Van Di Ses and performed in David Kramer’s Kat and the Kings, Blood Brothers and Orpheus in Africa.

The show is at 7.30pm each night and tickets are on sale at Computicket from R100.

Excitement and nerves are getting the better of NMMU #Trailblazing student Nandipha Jack, after a dry run at the 5km Lady Slipper trail outside Port Elizabeth this week.

Admittedly a far cry from the 43km she will have to climb in the gallant attempt to raise R4-million to fund academically deserving but financially needy students, Jack, 23, said the climb on Thursday was the eye opener she needed.

Jack, a third-year public management student for whom studying had been a pipe dream until she was awarded a netball scholarship, said she went on the Lady Slipper trail to get acquainted with climbing.

“I know it’s not the same – 5km versus 43km – but having never climbed before, I wanted to get an idea of what I would feel and experience while climbing,” she said.

“Now I’m a bit nervous about the trip because climbing Lady Slipper opened my eyes and I realise that the actual climb will not be easy.”

Jack climbed up the mountain – 32km outside Port Elizabeth – with members of the NMMU Madibaz Sports.

“Lady Slipper was quite steep, with so many inclines going up. It was very challenging in the beginning because I was rushing to get to the top, but I realised that it is all about pacing yourself and not wearing yourself out so early into the climb,” she said.

Jack began her studies at NMMU on a netball scholarship before securing NSFAS funding. She said she could have easily been one of the students forced to drop out in her final year due to a lack of funds.

After the challenging Lady Slipper climb, Jack said while it was no easy feat, it was one she felt she had to do.

“I really want to show the students that your journey may not always be easy, but if you set your sights firmly on your goal it drives you to completion,” she said. “Challenging and scary as all this is becoming now, I’m very excited about being part of something so big.”

Jack and the rest of the #Trailblazing team set off for Peru on August 26, aiming to raise R25 000 for each of the 160 final year students battling with funds to complete their studies.

So far, R1.2-million has been raised, with staff, students and the general public urged to do their part to raise funds to reach the R4-million target.

On Saturday night, Balizza in Walmer will do its part for the campaign, donating half of its door earnings to the #Trailblazing campaign.

Recently, a group of student leaders raised R680 towards the initiative, while last week R3 000 was raised at the Sweat100k fitness event held in the Indoor Sport Centre. Students have also been encouraged to donate at least R43 for the 43km that the team will climb.

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About MyPortElizabeth

About Alan Straton: Passionate about Port Elizabeth and definitely NOT packing for Perth. Alan's ethos is epitomised in the words of Nelson Mandela; "I have fought against white domination and I have fought against black domination. I have cherished the idea of a democratic and free society. If need be, it is an ideal for which I am prepared to die."